While most know and trust Consumer Reports for unbiased and truthful reports on products and services, those unfamiliar with the nonprofit organization should read the following (this statement can be found on the Consumer Reports website located at http://www.consumerreports.org):

"No brand is more widely recognized and trusted…than Consumer Reports. Since 1936, [it]…has delivered thorough…consumer product recommendations, while maintaining a…reputation for objectivity and accuracy.…In this age of public skepticism…[CR] has maintained its lofty status, a testimony to the organization's strict standards and steely integrity."-Mick O'Leary, O'Leary Online

Now with that out of the way, here's the good stuff. The Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center recently conducted a survey of more than 14,000 consumers on which therapies are among the top-rated treatments for people suffering with back pain. Keep in mind, this is according to everyday consumers and not small groups of individuals protecting special interests. According to their findings, consumers rated the hands-on therapies (chiropractic/spinal manipulation, massage and physical therapy) as the treatments most effective for back pain. Of those hands-on therapies, 58 percent of consumers rated chiropractic/spinal manipulation as helping a lot - the highest rated effectiveness of all treatment providers. In terms of consumer satisfaction, chiropractic again took the #1 position with 59 percent of consumers being "highly satisfied" with their chiropractic back pain treatment and advice. We could go on telling how great chiropractors are but it appears most of you already know!

New research confirms the obvious, stoop over and don't move much and you'll significantly increase your risk for lower back pain. In a newly released study, Hong Kong researchers evaluated workers at a school for severely handicapped individuals. Workers wore accelerometers attached to their trunks - devises that measure and track the degrees of trunk flexion. Researchers discovered those workers experiencing back pain were spending more time with their trunks in the same position as well as more time in bent positions of more than 10 degrees of flexion. According to researchers, "Rest activities such as standing up from stooping and walking for a short distance are suggested to promote the cyclic muscular contraction and relaxation that facilitate the nourishment of spinal tissues and provide periodic rest to the muscles." Thus, it's important to minimize working in bent over positions and take frequent back breaks and breathers. Think of the ligaments, muscles and other soft tissue structures of the back as an elastic band. When you over stretch an elastic band or maintain its stretched position for an extended period, it weakens, loses its ability to return to normal and ultimately can snap due to the excessive strains and stresses placed upon it. However, unlike an elastic band your back doesn't come in a 100 pack at your local office supply store. You have one back for life. Call your local chiropractor today and learn how to treat your back with the respect it deserves.

It's all over the news. The United States and many other nations are experiencing obesity at alarming rates. It's clear that there are too many videos games being played, too much TV being watched and not enough exercise. Wrong. According to a study from the European Congress on Obesity, while physical activity has reduced somewhat over the last 30 years, it's primarily the consumption of extra calories that has increased significantly. Researchers of the study stated that by reducing calories for children by 350 and for adults by 500 per day, Americans could achieve the average weights in America from the 1970s. The other option is to increase physical activity. However, 500 calories would require almost 2 hours of extra walking per day. Researchers recommend staying physically active but additionally paying extra special attention to what and how much we're consuming as most overweight and obese individuals are simply consuming far too many calories.

Most moms know the difficulty of returning to their pre-pregnancy weight after giving birth. A new study indicates that simply adding a probiotics supplement containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium starting in the first trimester could help. Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria and yeasts that assist our bodies in converting sugars and carbohydrates into lactic acid as well as lower the overall pH making it difficult for "bad" microorganisms to survive. In other words, they're the super heros in our guts fighting off the microorganism villains that can make us sick and unwell. In the study, researchers found moms taking probiotics starting in the first trimester were able to reduce central obesity after giving birth more so than those not taking probiotics. The researchers defined central obesity as a body mass index of 30 or greater or a waist measurement of greater than 31.5 inches.